British Columbia is taking steps to restore BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) to deliver better, more inclusive services to people, businesses and public-sector organizations.
FOIPPA was introduced in 1993, and applies to more than 2,900 public bodies in BC, and apart from minor changes in 2019, the act has not substantially changed since 2011.
From June to July, the province had thousands of people, businesses, Indigenous communities and public bodies participate in a survey in which they provided input to the proposed changes of the act.
“The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we live, work, connect with loved ones and access the services we need. Today, people can safely talk to their doctor via Zoom, learn online and do business faster,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services.
“These amendments help people continue to access the services they need faster, while ensuring their privacy is protected. We’re making changes today to keep pace with advancements in technology and provide the level of service that people expect in the digital era.”
Highlights of the amendments include:
updating FOIPPA’s data-residency provisions so public bodies can use modern tools while continuing to protect personal information;
enhancing public-sector privacy protections and increasing accountability by implementing mandatory privacy-breach reporting;
introducing a modest application fee for non-personal freedom of information (FOI) requests; and
demonstrating the Province’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, reconciliation and equity by increasing information sharing with Indigenous Peoples, adding Indigenous cultural protections and removing non-inclusive language.
Data-residency changes will bring the province in line with other jurisdictions by removing restrictions that prevent access to digital tools and technologies. These changes will increase access to technologies and streamline service delivery for public bodies.
This includes greater access to cloud-based services for BC post-secondary institutions by allowing them to use cloud-based education tools offered outside of BC.
“UBC welcomes these proposed amendments. They will substantially increase the privacy and security of personal data with more robust and resilient services by allowing us to select the most secure and effective solutions,” said Jennifer Burns, associate vice-president, information technology for UBC.
“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the government on changes that will boost the competitiveness and efficiency of BC post-secondary institutions while helping protect our students, faculty and staff.”
These proposed amendments are a reflection of the province's attempt to make the act more diverse, inclusive and equitable, adding cultural protections and removing non-inclusive language, which aligns with BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
The act has also been reviewed through a critical, gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) lens.
Learn more about the FOIPPA Policy click here.
